pr_progress_update · Pr Review MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What pr_progress_update does on Pr Review

AI agents use pr_progress_update to create or update resources in Pr Review — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Pr Review environment.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why pr_progress_update needs a policy

The tool reports a phase transition in the orchestrator, which implies writing/updating state about where a PR review workflow currently stands. It modifies orchestration metadata rather than deleting or executing code. The 'called by background subagent' note confirms it's a write-back mechanism for status tracking.

From the tool's definition 'Report orchestrator phase transition' — this updates/writes status or progress state in the orchestration system

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

pr_progress_update Rate-limited

pr_progress_update stays usable, but capped — an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "pr_progress_update": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "pr_progress_update_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

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PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Pr Review, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about pr_progress_update

What does the pr_progress_update tool do? +

Report orchestrator phase transition (called by background subagent). It is categorised as a Write tool in the Pr Review MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on pr_progress_update? +

Register the Pr Review MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for pr_progress_update: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Pr Review. Nothing to install.

What risk level is pr_progress_update? +

pr_progress_update is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit pr_progress_update? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the pr_progress_update rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block pr_progress_update completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for pr_progress_update. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides pr_progress_update? +

pr_progress_update is provided by the Pr Review MCP server (thebtf/pr-review-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.